Ronald Reagan Quotes on Gun-Control.

These are from the NY Magazine and all quotes have ample links. “This is a matter of vital importance to the public safety ... While we recognize that assault-weapon legislation will not stop all assault-weapon crime, statistics prove that we can dry up the supply of these guns, making them less accessible to criminals.”

--Ronald Reagan, in a May 3, 1994 letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, which was also signed by Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.

“I do not believe in taking away the right of the citizen for sporting, for hunting and so forth, or for home defense. But I do believe that an AK-47, a machine gun, is not a sporting weapon or needed for defense of a home.”

--Ronald Reagan, in a speech at his 78th birthday celebration in Los Angeles on February 6, 1989.

“Certain forms of ammunition have no legitimate sporting, recreational, or self-defense use and thus should be prohibited.”

--Ronald Reagan, in an August 28, 1986 signing statement on a bill that banned the production and importation of armor-piercing bullets.

“With the right to bear arms comes a great responsibility to use caution and common sense on handgun purchases.”

--Ronald Reagan, speech at George Washington University in a on March 29, 1991.

“Every year, an average of 9,200 Americans are murdered by handguns, according to Department of Justice statistics. This does not include suicides or the tens of thousands of robberies, rapes and assaults committed with handguns. This level of violence must be stopped.”

--Ronald Reagan, in a March 29, 1991 New York Times op-ed in support of the Brady Bill.

“I think maybe there could be some restrictions that there had to be a certain amount of training taken.”

--Ronald Reagan, in a press conference in Toronto on June 21, 1988, suggesting that prospective gun owners should have to receive training before purchasing a firearm.

“Well, I think there has to be some (gun) control.”

--Ronald Reagan, during a question-and-answer session with high-school students on November 14, 1988.

3. K&R

5. Reagan was never a friend of the Constitution.

Reagan was never a friend of the Constitution. I know that some rw'ers love him, but what the hell is the point of posting quotes of his here at DU? This is the man who ratted on other actors to the FBI if he thought they were 'communist.' He apointed Ed Meese as his Attorney General, and that man never met a citizen's right that he liked or supported. Since Meese spent most of his term undermining rights codified in the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments (to just scratch the surface), why should any of us be surprised that you can find some anti-Second Amendment quotes in the Reagan rap sheet too?

Oh yeah, and Reagan thought fully automatic arms were fine for Nicaragua and his Contra buddies. How'd that work out? I'll fill you in, scholar: it worked out badly for under-equipped Nicaraguan leftists.

6. posted by MrScorpio ... hope it goes viral

8. What are the contexts of some of these quotes?

"This is a matter of vital importance to the public safety ... While we recognize that assault-weapon legislation will not stop all assault-weapon crime, statistics prove that we can dry up the supply of these guns, making them less accessible to criminals."

What was the legislation he was proposing? Was it an outright ban (which is what we're seeing tried in many places)? And what was his definition of assault weapons?

"But I do believe that an AK-47, a machine gun, is not a sporting weapon or needed for defense of a home."

That's not going to make much of an impression on the 2nd Amendment types, as they're not proposing that these guns be made legal.

“Certain forms of ammunition have no legitimate sporting, recreational, or self-defense use and thus should be prohibited.”

The same argument holds here. Most 2nd Amendment types go along with banning armor-piercing ammo.

“With the right to bear arms comes a great responsibility to use caution and common sense on handgun purchases.”

You're not going to get arguments on that, either. They're big on responsibility. The difference will be what's considered caution and common sense.

"“Every year, an average of 9,200 Americans are murdered by handguns, according to Department of Justice statistics. This does not include suicides or the tens of thousands of robberies, rapes and assaults committed with handguns. This level of violence must be stopped.”

What will get tossed back at you on this one is that the number hasn't significantly risen even though gun control laws have actually been made much less restrictive nationwide since 1991.

“Well, I think there has to be some (gun) control.”

To which you'll get the reply "There already is quite a bit of gun control."